NOYNOY NANGDADAYA SA MGA DEBATE

Marahil marami sa mga kababayan natin na sumubaybay sa isang presidential forum noong Disyembre 2 ang nakapansin kung kaya’t laman ngayon ng lumalakas na “hate campaign” ang bagitong senador na si Noynoy Aquino. Mahahalata na tila may binabasa si Noynoy sa mga unang sagot nito sa naganap na “Harapan: The ANC Presidential Forum” na dinaos sa auditorium ng University of Sto Tomas sa Maynila. Ito ay live na napanood ng milyon-milyong tao sa bansa. Kabilang sa forum ay ang anim pang presidentiables tulad nila dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada, Senador Richard Gordon, dating Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, lider ng JIL na si Bro. Eddie Villanueva, dating Angeles City Councilor JC De Los Reyes at ang environmentalist na si Nicanor Perlas.

Sa nasabing debate ay kapansin-pansin ang pagbabago kay Senador Noynoy. Kung dati halatang nangangapa sa mga sasabihin tuwing natatanong sa kaniyang plataporma at tungkol sa mga kontrobersyal na isyu tulad ng ating nasaksihan sa “Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot” ng GMA7, sa forum ng ABS-CBN ay mistulang walang magagawang kamalian ang senador. Lahat ng tanong ay nasasagot niya ng maayos sa loob ng dalawang minuto na inilaan para sa bawat kandidato. Ilang araw lamang ang pagitan ng dalawang forums ngunit kapansin-pansin ang pagbabago ni Noynoy kung kaya’t marami ang nagsabi na ito ay binigyan ng talaan ng mga tanong ilang araw bago maganap ang forum kaya’t siya ay nakapaghanda ng mga sagot.

Usap-usapan na kung ang resulta ng survey ay naluluto nila para sa kanilang bentahe, sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang kamag-anak na si Rapa Lopa na may mataas na posisyon sa Pulse Asia, ay hindi malayong mangyari na naluto din ang forum dahil nabigyan din si Noynoy ng mga questions sa pamamagitan naman ng kaniyang kapatid na kilalang personalidad sa kumpanya ng ABS-CBN. Alam din ng taong bayan na masugid na taga-suporta ni Senador Noynoy ang mga liderato ng naturang network kung kaya’t mas nabibigyan ito ng mas malawak na coverage sa mga pag-iikot na ginagawa nito.

Hindi lamang sa forum ng GMA7 nagkalat si Noynoy. Minsan na niyang napatunayan na ginagamit lamang niya ang iniwan ng kaniyang mga magulang na legacy upang makuha ang simpatiya at boto ng tao sa inilunsad na forum ng Institute of Popular Democracy na tinawag na “Face to Face: 100 Local Government Champions vs. 4 Presidential Contenders”. Sa nasabing debate, paligoy-ligoy lamang ang kaniyang mga sagot sa mga katanungang binabato sa kaniya ngunit hindi nito direktang nasasagot ang mga isyu. Para sa lahat ng presidentiables lalo na kay Noynoy, ito ang mensahe ng bayan: bukod sa tinatawag na compassion para sa pagbabago ay dapat patunayan ng mga kandidato na sila ay may intelektwal na kakayahan upang mamuno sa bansa. Hindi madadala ang lahat sa karunungan sa english bagkus ay dapat malawak ang kaniyang kaalaman sa mga problemang bumabalot sa ating lipunan at kung paano ito mabibigyang solusyon. Kailangan ang taong marunong umaksyon at hindi nakasandal sa kakayahan ng ibang tao.

HATI NA BA ANG BOTO MO? “Hala I-Patrol Mo”

Hindi mo minsan masikmura ang lantarang panloloko hindi lang ng mga kung sinu-sinong TRAPO, kundi na rin ng dapat sana’y malaya at mapanuring pamamahayag. Simula kasi nang mag-igting ang iringan sa mga sensitibong posisyon tulad ng pang-panguluhan sa darating ng 2010 election, halos nagpapang-abot narin ang kalokohan ng mga estasyon at gimik ng mga di magkahumayaw na pulitiko. Isa na nga riyan ang matunog na kampanyang “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” na aniya tumutulong na mabigyan ng sapat na kaalaman ang mga botante sa susunod na taon. Litanya nga ng mga ”patrollers” nito ang samut-saring kawalanghiyaan ng mga taong nailuklok sa gobyerno ngunit sa isang banda naman ay patuloy na pinagkakaperahan ng estasyon ang mga dapat sana’y banned ads ng mga “presidentiables”.

Premature campaigning o ang mahigpit na ipinagbabawal na “electioneering” ang bumubungad sa manunood ng estasyon tuwing pinalalabas nito ang mga papogi ads ng kung sinu-sinong pontso pilato. Nahahalintulad ito sa mga naglalakihang poster o banderitas ng mga opisyal sa nakakalat ngayon sa mga eskinita at makikipot na pader ng lungsod. Nakapagtataka lang, nagagawang pansinin ng estasyon ang mga nakahilerang mga “posters” na ito habang pinahihintulutan naman nilang mag ere ng mahigit sa 3 hanggang 5 minutong campaign ad ang mga “presidentiables”. Kung susumahin daan-daang milyung piso ang kinikita ng estasyon sa mga pagpapalabas ng mga political ads na ito. Kaya naman hindi mahirap sabihin na nagkukunwang maka-tao ang estasyon lalo na’t isinusulong nito ang dapat ay clean and fair elections”.

Pera-pera nga lang naman ang tahasang dahilan ng mga tila pangguguyong ito ng mga kilalang estasyon sa bansa. At ang masakit nito, may malaking bilang na din ng mga botante ang nauuto nila. Kasi naman, habang nagkukunwaring “watchdog” ang estasyon sali’t-salitan naman nilang pinagkakaperahan ang mga pulitikong pilit na nambabaluktot ng batas kontra sa maagang pamumulitika o electioneering. Mantakin mong may isang taon pa man bago ipahintulot ang pangangapanya, nagsisimula nang ibandera ng mga pulitiko ang kani-kanilang mga mukha sa tv gamit na din ng “bayarang” media.

Kung susumahin, panakip butas lang ng estasyon ang kampanya nitong “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” para naman hindi gaanong mapuna ang walang humpay nilang pangnenegosyo tuwing eleksiyon.

Ngunit maliban pa sa bulok na pangangatwiran ng estasyon sa kanilang malugod na pangangampanya ng kung sinu-sinong “presidentiable”, dahan-dahan ding hinihikayat ng estasyon na i-boycott ang eleksyion. Patunay diyan ang maya-mayang pagpapalabas ng estasyon ng anila “butas” ng darating na automated election. Minamakina ng estasyon ang publiko na maging negatibo sa eleksiyon na nag-uudyok naman upang paigtingin pa ng mga kandidato ang kanilang mga jingle ads na pinagkakwartahan naman ng estasyon.

Kaya naman, madaling sabihin na ginigisa ng kapitalistang estasyon ang mga botante at mga pulitiko sa kani-kanilang mantika.

MEDIA ON POPULAR VOTE FOR NO-EL

“Oversight of Election Watchdogs”

Vote watching is nothing less than a crude excuse to actually heighten the possibility of a publicly preferred “no election”. The “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” for one that was intended to arouse voters to be vigilantly looking over the course of the nearing election was unfortunately swaying the public to amass skepticism. The truckload of “appalling” reports that these “patrollers” address on nationwide television should be a matter of concern since it generates more of pessimism other than an interest to participate on the coming election. Thus, this has been a regrettable oversight.

Unfortunately as “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” continues to “flag” in one of the country’s leading stations, “electioneering” such as premature campaign ads of various presidentiables undercuts it. The very station claiming clean and fear ballot casting is in fact condoning “electioneering” in exchange of multi-million worth of tv ads that they continually air in between their shows. Obviously, the tv station is simply making “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” a fitting façade to hide its money-making agenda. As such, the saying “pera-pera lang yan” proves true even among 2010 “reformist”.

If defined, the movement pushed by the station is nothing less than a refigured mind conditioning ingredient that generate public unease on the sought-after presidential race. It focuses more on actually making a wet blanket view on the outcome of the first ever automated elections in the country. That is, despite the stations nonstop show of support to various candidates by lending its airwaves to “premature” campaign propaganda materials.

Permitting electioneering in exchange of millions of peso is what capitalists do to make a huge profit out of the election. Undesirably, capitalist partisanship is going to haunt the viable selection of presidency by next year and a huge crowd of misled “patrollers” are going to make it possible. Worst case scenario in this media fiasco is having a handful of voters turn down the election out of riddling lack of trust. This runs appositively to what the movement “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” is trying to impart in its partakers. Instead of giving people hope and making them believe on the equal lengths of the law through exercising their rights of suffrage, the contrasting “pressure group” of the station and its outlined business ventures with supposedly “unlawful” political ads are both perplexing able voters.

Other than gathering unison perspectives on the elections, the campaign propelled by the tv station is more of “divisive” in nature. It ideally alienates the voters from the government which would be handling the smooth course of the 2010 presidential selection. Hence, majority of voters are actually prejudging the course of the elections. On one end this come close to provoking the crowd on boycotting 2010 and support a potential vote for No-Election. Moreover, what else does “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” promoters expect from their demoralized crowd?

COJUANGCO PHANTOMS HUNT THE PRESIDENCY

The Cojuangco owned Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac costs more than a huge sum of money. It actually bartered poor farmers’ lives and a truckload of “elitist” injustice. The 6,400 hectare land that the Cojuangco’s hold on to with fangs and claws simply represent the adversity of servitude and the rich’s monopoly of influence. And this unlikely Juan dela Cruz tragic drama will persist just as another Cojuangco heir is eyeing the presidency.

No one is absolutely clean of partisanship and misuse of authority in the Philippine political arena. Unfortunately, the long list of presidents we have had to deal with their own horrors and Achilles’ heel. For one, Martial law had nailed former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos’ administration despite the grandness of the Philippine economy in the 1970s. His dictatorship and iron-fist rule lingered more on Filipinos’ consciousness other than his build-up fiscal progress. Most say, Juan preferred the “doughnut hole” other than Marcos’ offered “progress”. On the other hand, the phantoms of Hacienda Luisita haunted Pres. Corazon Aquino’s rise to power. The heroine of EDSA-1 have had her fair share of public’s disfavor when the celebrated government case against the despotic “landlordship” of the Cojuangco’s took a dubious turn in favor of the then Pres. Aquino’s kin.

In an interview of Former MAR or Ministry of Agrarian Reform (now Department of Agrarian Reform) official, Jose Santos in the alternative paper-Bulatlat, he affirmed that Don Jose Cojuangco’s deal with the government about half a decade ago binds the “azucarera” to a supposedly irrevocable deal among its tenants. In particular, the GSIS approved 5.9 million peso loan of Don Jose that was used to purchase Hacienda Luisita incorporated a condition that the estate would then be subdivided among its tenants. Around 4,000 hectares should have been legally apportioned to the Luisita’s farmers. But just as the MAR’s case take a winning toll against the Cojuangco’s, Pres. Cory ascended in Malacañang and actually had a revamp of MAR officials to include the appointment of Sedfrey Ordoñez as Solicitor General. Ordoñez served as the Cojuangco’s legal counsel in the controversial Hacienda Luisita legal thug. And as expected, when he assumed into MAR (DAR) the winnable case of the government against the Cojuangco’s littered.

Most admires Pres. Aquino’s descent to power. The widow of another Martial Law hero- Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was elemental in putting an end to the 20-year totalitarian rule of Marcos. Sad to say, the victory of EDSA People Power was boxed on the Pres. Cory and that this was further exploited by the Cojuangco to undermine the biddings of the law. The creation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or (CARP) was the ironic tool used by the Cojuangco’s to trash out Luisita farmer’s rights. This is one cruel truth of “omnipotent power” manhandling the weak but paid much interest.

And just as CARP faces its end after a twin decade of prostituting the poor Luisita tenants’ rights, another Cojuangco claims the presidential throne. Expectedly, another injustice is cooked-up. Maybe, a resurrected CARP would again haunt the victims of Luisita. And if I may say, we are partly to blame for the discrete crimes of Cojuangcos.

Hacienda Luisita Belongs to Cojuangco Tenants, Ex-DAR Exec Says

Hacienda Luisita workers
in a mass action for land,
just wages, and rights

Photo by Dabet Castañeda

Hacienda Luisita Belongs to Cojuangco Tenants, Ex-DAR Exec Says
In a deal with government funders 46 years ago, Don Jose Cojuangco pledged to distribute the land now occupied by Hacienda Luisita to tenant farmers. A former director of the Department of Agrarian Reform says a court order binds the Cojuangcos to do so.

By Dabet Castañeda
Bulatlat

http://www.bulatlat.com/news/4-42/4-42-tenants.html

The Cojuangco family, owners of the embattled Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI) and the Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT), is legally bound to distribute the 4,000-hectare land to the sugar farm workers of the plantation, a former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) director said. The 4,000 hectares are what is left of the 6,400-hectare plantation estate whose 2,400-ha portion is said to have been earmarked as “homelots” for the HLI’s “shareholders.”
 

The former DAR official, Jose Santos, is one of government lawyers who on April 18, 1980 assisted Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza in filing Civil Case No. 131654 at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila, Branch XLIII against the Tarlac Development Corporation (Tadeco), the former company name of HLI and CAT.

Santos, who is now retired, is known to his colleagues to be an expert in handling big land disputes during his tenure at the government’s agrarian agency then known as the Ministry of Agrarian Reform (MAR). He worked there as director of the Bureau of Agrarian Legal Assistance (BALA).

In an exclusive interview with Bulatlat last week, Santos said he is breaking his silence to shed light on what actually transpired since 1958 when the late Cojuangco patriarch, Don Jose, acquired the hacienda. He also recalled the conditions on why Don Jose Cojuangco was able to do so, and the court case which government won over the family that legally binds them to distribute land to the hacienda’s tillers. 

Acquisition
Court records from the Manila RTC show that Don Jose was able to purchase Tadeco on March 31, 1958 using government funds from two agencies, the Central Bank of the Philippines (CBP) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The CBP, under Monetary Board Resolution No. 1240, granted a loan of US $2,128,480 to Don Jose on the condition that the latter would also buy the Hacienda Luisita sugar plantation. The patriarch’s original plan was to only purchase the sugar mill. As part of the condition, the hacienda is to be distributed to small farmers in line with the administration’s social justice program, Santos recalls.

But since the dollar loan was not enough to purchase both the sugar mill and the plantation, Don Jose again applied for a loan with the GSIS, court records show. The GSIS Board of Trustees, through Resolution No. 3202 approved the sum of P5.9 million in loan for the purchase of the 6,400-hectare Hacienda Luisita on the condition, among others, that the estate should be subdivided among tenants who shall pay the cost under “reasonable terms and conditions.“

Inquiry
In 1967, Conrado Estrella of the now defunct Land Authority inquired in writing with the Tadeco owner whether he has complied with the conditions set by the CBP and GSIS, citing in particular the distribution of the land among its tillers. Don Jose answered that when his group took over the hacienda, they found no tenants and that they had to begin operating the hacienda by hiring farm workers.

Ten years later, the CBP made a similar inquiry with the heirs of Don Jose, who by then had died. In March 1978, the Evening Post daily reported that about 100,000 residents of the 10 barrios comprising the hacienda filed a petition demanding the expropriation of the hacienda and its distribution to small farmers. 

Consequently in May of the same year, MAR officials made their own inquiry into the case. Tadeco vice-president Demetria Cojuangco replied that the condition with regards the land distribution could not be enforced.

Case
In 1980, Santos recalls, he assisted Solicitor General Mendoza in filing a case against the owners of Tadeco before the Manila RTC.  Mendoza and Santos asked the RTC to compel Tadeco to honor its pledge in the 1958 loan deal with the CBP and GSIS and transfer the 6,400-hectare hacienda to the MAR who shall then subdivide, distribute and resell the land at cost to small farmers. 

Again, Tadeco insisted the CBP and GSIS conditions could not be enforced first, because there were no tenants in the hacienda and, second, sugarcane plantations were not part of the scope of the government’s land reform program. To do so, Tadeco lawyers said, would be giving in to what could be seen as a “disguised confiscation of private property.” 

The case dragged on for five years until Dec. 2, 1985 when Judge Bernardo Pardo of the Manila RTC Branch XLIII decided in favor of government.  The Cojuangcos immediately appealed the decision before the Court of Appeals (CA). 

Dismissal
Santos recalls that the RTC decision vindicated the sugar farm workers’ cause. Before the appeal could be heard at the CA, however, one of the Cojuangco’s heirs, Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino (widow of Marcos’ arch-rival Benigno Aquino), became president of the country on the crest of a popular uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship in February 1986.

But since the new president was one of the owners of the hacienda, Santos said he began to lose faith that the court decision would bear fruit. His fears were proven right when in 1986, President Cojuangco-Aquino appointed Sedfrey Ordoñez, the Cojuangco family’s own legal counsel in the Hacienda Luisita case, as solicitor general. As solicitor general, Santos added, Ordoñez was also to represent government that in the first place, originally filed the case for expropriation.

As expected, the case at the CA did not move and out of frustration, Santos resigned on the same year from MAR, which had been renamed as Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

In 1988, the appellate court issued a dismissal resolution mainly due to the fact that President Cojuangco-Aquino had guaranteed that sugar farms would be included in her agrarian reform program known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Francisco Chavez, who replaced Ordoñez as solicitor general, asked through the CA whether the CBP, DAR and the GSIS, as parties to the case, were still interested in following up the appeal, Santos said. The three parties, based on court records, answered in the negative but pointed out that Hacienda Luisita should be part of the CARP with the land distributed to small farmers. On May 18, 1988, the CA dismissed the appeal. 

Santos clarifies, however, that in dismissing the appeal the CA did not actually say that it was nullifying the RTC Manila decision of 1985 which orders that Hacienda Luisita should be subdivided, distributed and resold to the hacienda’s small farmers at cost.

In fact, the CA dismissal-resolution emphasized “it is not only conditional but also without prejudice to the reopening/revival of the case if the conditions of the DAR are not met,” Santos says.

SDO
Saying that agrarian reform was the centerpiece of her administration, Mrs. Aquino instituted the CARP stating that land reform can be achieved by either actual land distribution or through a stock distribution scheme through the Stock Distribution Option (SDO). Subsequently, the Cojuangcos turned Hacienda Luisita into a corporation and is now known as Hacienda Luisita, Inc. (HLI), with the sugar farm workers classified from farm laborers to “stockholders” or “co-owners” of the said hacienda.

Ed Tadem, associate professor of Asian Studies at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, in a statement emailed to Bulatlat said that the SDO was implemented by the former president, who is part of a landlord clan, to “evade land reform.” 
This scheme was inserted into the so-called CARP (R.A. 6657) by pro-landlord legislators during the term of President Aquino, he said, to allow landowners who run their farms as corporations to distribute shares of stocks to farm workers in lieu of outright land transfer.

Tadem added that serious observers and scholars of agrarian reform contend that stock distribution can never be a substitute for land transfer which is the heart and soul of any genuine land reform.
Santos, on the other hand, said that the SDO deprives the farmers’ right to the land they till which, first and foremost, is a legitimate issue.
Solution

In a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by Tadeco, the HLI, DAR and a handful of farm beneficiaries stated that they have entered into this agreement “in the spirit of the CARP with the end view of improving the lot of farm beneficiaries of the stock distribution plan and obtaining for them greater benefits.’
“The question is: Is the purpose of the SDO achieved? Has it become successful?” Santos asks. 

This question also rings in the mind of the sugar farm workers who have staged a work stoppage since Nov. 6 to, among their demands, force the DAR to review the implementation and effects of the SDO on their daily lives. 

Sugar farm workers say that since the incorporation of the hacienda, they have experienced greater hardships due to, among others, diminishing mandays caused by mechanization of sugar cane production and the land use conversion.

In Tadem’s statement, the Luisita stock option plan had been denounced as "unconstitutional" by the University of the Philippines Law Center in a position paper submitted in June 1990 to the Senate Agrarian Reform Committee. The memorandum stated that the "scheme is violative not only of the social justice provisions but even more so of the specific provisions of the Constitution on agrarian reform" since it "allows the original owners to remain the controlling interest at the expense of the supposedly farmer beneficiaries."

If the SDO does not actually benefit the sugar farm workers of the HLI, Santos, said it is imperative for the DAR to nullify the implementation of the SDO at HLI and pursue the lower court decision against the Cojuangcos.

Under these circumstance, the former DAR official said, that makes the Cojuangcos legally bound to distribute the hacienda to small farmers.

Santos also scored the DAR and the administrations after President Aquino for having no political will to settle the agrarian unrest in the hacienda.  It is sad that it had to take the lives of the fighting farm beneficiaries to put this issue into the government’s attention once more, he said. Bulatlat

ATTACK ON NERI ANOTHER HOAX

A couple of weeks ago, the Quezon City house of Social Security System (SSS) Secretary Romulo Neri was peppered with bullets by fourteen armed men clad in fatigue uniforms. Ironically, the controversial personality who became embroiled in the multi-million dollar broadband network deal in 2007 brushed off the incident and has not even made any attempt to help the authorities in identifying the culprits. His questionable approach to the incident has then led political observers to believe that he was actually expecting the violent and daring act to be staged on his residence.

A very keen observer would even believe Neri was staging his own kidnapping. Was this what Neri was up with all the speculation that he knew and was expecting the attack? An unimpeachable source clarified that the SSS Secretary was supposed to attend a meeting at eight o’clock that very morning but unexpectedly deferred his attendance for no apparent reason. He even reduced his security detail from ten to three, only last month, leading one to believe that he was indeed preparing the stage for his so-called abduction much like what Jun Lozada also attempted and failed to do last year upon his controversial return to the country.

However, much like Lozada, Neri underestimated his security aide and did not expect himself to be defended from his attackers. The gullible secretary must have thought that the sheer number of armed men would lead his security aides to back down and allow entry of the attackers to his house, thereby succeeding in acting out his abduction. As sourced out, the armed men were equipped with a sledgehammer and were supposed to force down the main gate to “get” to Neri. However, shots from inside which the attackers apparently did not anticipate made them abandon their plan.

The source further revealed that the attackers were known experts in their so-called trade of attack being long-time paid kidnappers, proven by their move in commandeering two vans and subsequently abandoning these for two other get-away vehicles near the area of their target, all backed up by a well-off padrino as proven by the lease made on a warehouse for P105,000.00 which was paid in full and in cold cash, a full a day prior to the attack.

Information obtained from another reliable source revealed that Neri was supposed to be held “incommunicado” a few days after his abduction. He was also scheduled to do an exposé, via live feed, against the Arroyo family to intentionally re-ignite the ZTE-NBN scandal and thereby create the much-needed critical mass to finally force out President Arroyo from Malacañang, which would then be supplemented by a military takeover. As the planned alternative, a call to install a transitional revolutionary government, a plan grounded by and being peddled by Senator Ping Lacson, will also be made. Obviously with this plan SSS Secretary Romulo Neri would definitely have served as Ping Lacson’s new witness and will be paraded under Lacson’s already long drawn out exposés in Senate.

RIGODON SA KAMPO NI NOYNOY AT MAR INAABANGAN

Hindi pa pala plantsado ang lahat tulad ng inaakala ng nakakarami. Malakas ang ugong-ugong na ang kampo ni Senador Noynoy Aquino at Senador Mar Roxas ay humaharap ngayon sa isang malaking intriga patungkol sa aktwal na pagpapatupad ng kanilang plano na “Noynoy-Mar” tandem para sa dadating na eleksyon sa 2010. Ayon sa isang tagapagmasid sa kampo ng Liberal Party ay posibleng magkaroon ng isang rigodon at magkapalit ng pwesto sila Noynoy at Mar kung saan si Mr Palengke ay babalik bilang standard bearer ng LP at si Noynoy ay babagsak para maging kandidato ng partido sa pagkabise presidente, ito diumano ay mangyayari bago matapos ang kasalukuyang taon.

Ang pagdeklara kay Noynoy sa labanan ng pagkapangulo at ang pagtanggap naman ni Mar bilang ka-partner nito ay hindi nangangahulugan na sila ay opisyal nang mga kandidato. Ito ay isang plano pa lamang na maaaring mapalitan lalo pa’t hindi pa nakapaghain ang dalawa ng kanila-kanilang opisyal na candidacy sa COMELEC. Hindi diumano papayagan ng grupong tinatawag na “The Firm” na maging pangalawa lamang si Mar. Ang grupong “The Firm” ang siyang nasa likod ng kandidatura ni Mr Palengke at tumutulak dito upang tumakbo sa pagkapangulo.

Ito ang isa sa mga pinanghahawakan ng grupong “The Firm” kasama na ang umiinit na intriga sa pagitan ng mga ibat-ibang grupong maka-Noynoy na ating namang natuklasan na pare-parehas palang naghihinanakit dahil sa sobrang pagkiling ng unico iho ni dating Pangulong Cory sa kanyang mga kapatid at ibang miyembro ng kaniyang pamilya sa tuwing may gagawing hakbang o di kaya ay bubuuing mga plano para sa 2010. Dahil dito ay nakakaramdam ng pagiging “out of place” ang mga kilalang miyembro ng Hyatt 10, ilang LP members at iba pang civil society groups na masugid na ipinalutang ang “Noynoy for President” sa kasagsagan ng pagluluksa kay President Cory Aquino.

Ang ganitong klaseng pagtatampo o ang pakiramdam ng pagtraydor ay pwedeng mag-udyok sa mga grupong ito na tuluyang talikuran si Noynoy at iakyat ng muli si Mar Roxas bilang kanilang kandidato sa pagkapangulo. Hindi ba’t kung sa ngayon pa lamang ay hindi na nila lubusang nahahawakan sa leeg si Noynoy ay posibleng sila naman ang ilaglag nito sa panahong ito ay magtagumpay sa 2010 at siya namang ika-uunsyami ng kani-kanilang mga personal na plano?

Ang posibleng pagririgodon ni Senador Noynoy at Senador Mar Roxas ay isang kaabang-abang na kaganapan sa bakod ng Liberal Party na una nang nag-akalang may malaking bentahe dahil sa mistulang mainit na pagtanggap ng mga tao sa Noynoy-Mar tandem. Ngunit ang ningning ng kahit ano mang bagay o tao ay lilipas din kung siya ay napapalibutan ng mga tao o grupong sisira dito.

PANGANGAMPANYA SA KALAGITNAAN NG DELUBYO

Sa mga nagdaang araw, malaki ang nawala sa Pilipinas lalong-lalo na sa mga taong nabiktima ng matinding paghagupit ng bagyong Ondoy sa kalakhang Maynila pati na rin sa mga katabing lalawigan. Ito ay sinundan ng pagpasok ng isa pang bagyo na si Pepeng na hinagupit at tumama mismo sa lalawigan sa hilagang bahagi ng bansa. Sa ngayon, ang buong bansa ay nasa state of calamity dahil sa pananalasang idinulot ng dalawang bagyo.

Ang mga pangyayaring ito ay nagdulot ng pagkakaisa, pakikipagtulungan at pagkakapantay-pantay ng bawat Pilipino sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga kapwa Pilipino. Ang trahedya ng bagyo ay nagbigay rin daan sa ilan upang magkaroon ng mapag-kakakitaan sa gitna ng dinaranas na kahirapan ng bansa gaya na lamang ng mga maliliit na talyer at gawaan ng mga kasangkapan sa bahay. Sa kabilang banda, may mga tao rin na nagging mapagsamantala dahil ninanakawan nila ang mga bahay na nilisan ng mga may-ari. At ang masama, may mga ilang opisyal na ginamit ang kanilang kapangyarihan upang makapagbigay ng tulong para na rin sa kanilang pansariling kapakanan dahil sa nalalapit na eleksyon.

May mga ilang tatakbong opisyal ang mga nakita sa lansangan ng iba’t-ibang lugar upang maghatid ng tulong. May iilan din na puspusan ang pagtulong upang bumango ang kanilang pangalan at imahe. Marahil, palapit na ng palapit ang araw ng eleksyon kung kaya’t lahat ng maaari nilang gawin upang makatulong ay puspusan at sisikapin nilang magawa.

Subalit, nakakabahala na may ilan na inuna pa ang kanilang sarili bago ang mga taong humihingi ng saklolo. May mga litrato na nagkalat sa ngayon sa internet patungkol sa pagkakabit ng mga campaign paraphernalia ni Senador Noynoy Aquino sa ilang probinsiya pagkatapos humagupit ang bagyong Ondoy. Nagawa pa umanong makipagkita ni Aquino kay dating Pangulo Joseph Estarada upang magkaroon ng pagpupulong sa pagitan nilang dalawa sa kasagsagan ng malakas na ulan.

Ang ganitong gawain ay mariing ikinokondena dahil ang lahat ng tao ay abala sa pagtulong sa mga kakababayang nasalanta ngunit si Aquino at ang kanyang mga taga-suporta ay nagging okupado sa pagkakabit ng mga banners at posters bilang pagkampanya sa parating na eleksyon. Ito ba ang lider na gugustuhin ng lahat? Mas uunahin pa niya ang kanyang sarili bago ang mga taong bayan. Wala na ba talaga siyang respeto sa mga kahirapan na dinaranas ng kanyang mga kababayan? Kung tutuusin, ang lahat ng ito ay patunay lamang na walang pakialam ang mga Aquino sa mahihirap gaya na lamang ng nangyari sa Hacienda Luisita.

Ang mga pagtulong na ginagawa ni Aquino sa mga nasalanta ay hindi sapat dahil ang mga pera na kanyang ibinahagi ay hindi nanggaling sa sariling bulsa kundi pera na nilikom ng kanyang mga taga-suporta na nagmula rin sa taong bayan. Hindi man lang niya masuklian ang binigay na hirap at pagod na naranasan ng sambayanang Pilipino sa pakikiramay at pagdadalamhati sa kanilang pamilya ng namatay ang kanyang ina.
Ganoon na ba talaga katindi ang kanyang pagnanasa na maka-upo sa palasyo ng Malacanang? Wala na ba siyang oras na pinipili kung kaya’t ultimo oras ng kalamidad ay kanyang susugurin para lamang mangampanya at makipag-usap sa iba’t-ibang pulitiko.

Marapat munang isantabi ang pangangampanya dahil hindi pa lubusang nakakabangon ang bansa sa dalawang magkasunod na bagyo na nag-iwan ng matinding sugat sa bansa.

A NEW WITNESS IN THE MAKING BY PING

The Filipino people have already seen different witnesses presented by Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson in the Senate hearing regarding graft and corruption pin pointing Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Mike Arroyo. While everyone is busy reaching out to the victims of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, Ping has been busy training new witnesses for his allegations in his recent privilege speeches.

Ping’s school of thought has apparently been creating the best witnesses in town. His students undergo extensive training, practiced and molded in how to become excellent actors so they would indeed look credible in what they are saying. Starting from Rodolfo Lozada, Dante Madriaga, and Leo San Miguel testifying in the investigation of the NBN-ZTE, he welcomes his new graduate, Blanquita “Babes” Pelaez.

In 1996, Pelaez and Lacson had a misunderstanding with regard to a handcuffs contract. She claimed that Lacson blocked the payment after she refused to follow his instruction to fabricate charges against three former government officials along with a number of PNP officers whom he considered enemies. It was followed then by Pelaez looking for and finding proof that Lacson is wealthy enough to pay the damages she incurred. She was able to expose Lacson’s assets which summed up to a very sizeable amount of wealth, but may not be as questionable because he was at that time, PNP Chief after all. Read the related story http://www.newsflash.org/2003/05/hl/hl018804.htm

The credibility of exposing the truth is left under the hands of Pelaez. Yet, how can be she credible enough if she was charged with estafa and found to be guilty a few years back? Would she still be trustworthy after changing her mind towards the case she filed against Lacson? How can be she so honest to tell the truth when everything around her seems to be pure lies?

Lacson would of course allow Pelaez at any time to come out and reveal information that would help him clear things out. For what issue to be tackled, no one knows for sure. The enemies of the past becoming best of friends are surprisingly not new in politics as Lacson and Pelaez have apparently mended fences and teamed up to expose something greater than their previous altercation. Lacson had allegedly offered a huge amount to Pelaez wherein she could not resist forgiving and forgetting the issues between them and indeed the reason behind for the sudden friendship that developed. What happened here and between have been closed off to public view and we are supposed to just forget. For now, people will forget as they eagerly wait for the right time when Pelaez would expose her masterfully trained essential information… all for Lacson’s cause, of course.

RAILROADING LACSON’S DICTATORSHIP

The foreboding over a possible no-election scenario by next year is as prevalent as the rumored grounding of a transitory government to be dominated by members of the Political Opposition. After the controversial 12-paged Transitory Revolutionary Government or (TRG) proposal that was handed-out among 2008 AFP generals groomed to turn-down GMA, another “legit” coup d’état is on the rise through Isabela Rep. Ed Joson’s House Bill 3194 which compels the public to swallow-in presidential hopefuls like Senators Loren Legarda and Panfilo Lacson. For a consolation, the public is believed that the “Transitory Council”, comprised of influential civil society groups and solons from the Opposition base camp to act as a collective body instituted to divide the presidential control and keep the appointed Head of State on its toes.

But can we count on this? How sure are we that TRG or HB 3194 stays on track and not be a venue for a totalitarian rule of a non-elected “Head of State”?

As explained in HB 3194, the need for an alternative government once failure of election sets will ensure that GMA would not be extending her term of office. But it falls short in guaranteeing that the Transitory Government would not be further exploited for the benefit of few presidential hopefuls who simply can’t win Malacañang over a fair and square election. This was also the same alibi used to raise the concession towards a TRG takeover in mid of 2008. However, rather than quelling one democratic threat involving the spoke-about term extension of GMA, TRG and HB 3194 are no less propelling a no-el and even worse a “dictatorship’. The people conspiring behind it are TRAPOs who are not worth trusting. They all live in the same ego-centric lifestyle where their self-serving interests subdue the welfare of the state.

Instead of putting a leash on the current administration, this actually puts fangs on the opportunistic few to destabilize the government by “financing” or “masterminding” destabilization efforts that could easily be blamed on the Arroyos. Besides, Arroyo has been a fitting scapegoat minding the twin issues of graft slammed during her administration. The public could easily accuse Arroyo of power grip. Thus, giving few TRAPOs the favorable arena where they can twitch facts with the public’s roundabout consent.

Comparing the two plots that ought to oust GMA and install a “caretaker” government, it has been interestingly noticeable that Sen. Lacson’s name predominates Legarda’s. He was clearly the 2008 TRG originator and now the fiddled Head of State under the dish-out Transition Bill in KAMARA. Considerably, Lacson may have more than what meets the eye over the transition schemes. Perhaps, this explains why he backed out of the presidential race. Else, he would not be dogging his way out on the PAOC-TF hullabaloos. Moreover, it is an open-secret that he is out to clear his name in the Dacer-Corbito murders by nailing the blames on his former Chief Erap Estrada.

Portraying the good guy amidst the fiasco over erring politicians nowadays would give him an edge over other statesmen including Sen. Legarda, who was also pointed out in HB 3194. Legitimizing a swift overturn of GMA’s presidency is not enough to make it appealing for the masses to sink their teeth into. Other than demonizing Gloria and winning the Congress’ blessing, there is of course the need to get a hold of people’s confidence. This way, Lacson could claim he won the Filipino’s favor; by putting-up dirty antics and public stunts.

In fact, out of the twelve seated 2007 senators who will be tidied up as the Transitory Council, seven have already been wooed by Lacson to favor him when HB 3194 is pushed. That is, exempting Senators Manny Villar and Cayetano who are still in “word war” with Lacson. This number gives Lacson the flattering lead when matched up to Legarda. Practically, all that he needs right now, are “agitators” that could help generate no-el. To which, DOE Sec. Angelo Reyes could be aligned. Sec. Reyes who had been corresponding with Lacson has unexpectedly dropped the bomb about a possible black-out on election D-DAY. Reyes was plainly instigating baseless rumors that could fuel qualms over a no-el. Apparently, his correspondence with Lacson is building-up a good route for a fitting plan to sabotage the nearing election.

Should we be sitting-ducks as Lacson, among others, railroads his Martial Law rule? By the time coup spoils the law of the land and disrupts the flow of the republic, there is no assurance that an ad hoc government stays “temporary”. The TRG would be calling the shots. The Council, made-up no less by Lacson minions, could lengthen the Head of State’s rule as they please.

Is this really why we battle against Gloria’s term extension? To hand Malacañang over to Lacson who would in turn use it to build his totalitarian empire?

IS LACSON VOTING FOR NO-EL? “Shadow-leading 2010”

Few could probably tell the difference between the seditious Transitionary Revolutionary Government (TRG) from Rep. Ed Joson’s House Bill 3194. Aside from the fact that both suggest an ad hoc leadership which could rule in an indefinite period of time, these set of schemes are actually triggering instability especially on the rumored no-el.

The Bill suggesting the creation of a caretaker government once failure of election happens by next year is superimposing the establishment of a hoax government. In fact, the transitory ruling as explained in the Bill that includes the ascension of 2007-elected senators to an executive “Council” where the Head of State will then be selected runs similar to the TRG plot of having a shadow-led administration of its originator- Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Probably, this is the very reason why the solon is also linked in the possible take-off of said “legitimize” takeover of Malacaňang.

Obviously, Joson just laundered TRG and made it more tempting for the public to sink their teeth to. Is Lacson the incongruous voice on Joson’s head when he decided to draft a proposal that could apparently promote a scenario of no-el other than avoiding one?

The grooming of Lacson’s name in the celebrated Dacer-Corbito case which in turn involves the Estradas’ downfall is part of the arrangement to make him look good. As explained by both TRG and HB 3194, the one with the least issues of graft and steers clear from partisanship is suited to be appointed Head of State. And this was nailed best by Lacson; thanks to his privilege speeches that went against the administration and former Opposition allies. Admittedly, Juan dela Cruz would be choosing the side of the lesser “evil” which Lacson now claim to be. Being magnified as the man with guts in the Senate is just what Lacson needs to condition the masses’ mind for his inevitable domination. If by any chance the public stay gullible, the former PAOC-TF Chief who until now is riddled with cases of bloody abuses could walk-free.

Thus, Lacson’s pullout in the 2010 elections was not at all for nothing, as most of us would think. Maybe, he needed the money to finance a legit invasion of the Arroyo incumbency? Besides, I could not imagine Joson doing these huge favors without something valuable in return.

TRG and HB 3194 is an excuse for dictatorship. Lacson and others like him who has been salivating over the presidential seat would have everything to gain once the nearing election is place to a stand-off. And sadly, Lacson will be able to attain such, once we toil on good-for-nothing political bickering and gimmick that usually means ganging-up against the stale insinuations involving the Arroyo’s intention to remain in power.

There is nothing wrong with keeping our guards against the possible term extension of GMA, which nonetheless be unconstitutional. But this should not be made as pretext to condone a rerun for Martial Law under the hands of Lacson and his minions in Congress.

PAGLILINIS SA PANGALAN NI LACSON

Matapos niyang isiwalat ang lahat ng kanyang nalalaman at ginawang pagdidiin sa kanyang dating boss na si dating Presidente Joseph “Erap” Estrada, hinaharap naman ngayon ni Senador Panfilo “Ping” Lacson ang subpoena na inihain sa kanya ng Department of Justice (DOJ). Sa naturang kautusan ng DOJ, muling iimbestigahan ang Dacer-Corbito case. Inatasan ng departamento na humarap sa korte si Lacson upang magbigay ng kanyang counter-affidavit hinggil sa mga akusasyon ni Cesar Mancao pati na rin sa mga kasong isinampa ng pamilyang Dacer. Ngunit ang subpoena ay tila binastos ni Lacson dahil ito ay naghain ng isang petisyon (petition for certiorari and prohibition) sa Supreme Court upang ipatigil ang nasabing imbestigasyon ng DOJ.

May ikinakatakot ba si Lacson kaya pursigido siyang ipatigil ang imbestigasyon? May mga kulang pa ba sa lahat ng impormasyong kanyang isiniwalat sa mga privilege speeches na ginawa niya sa Senado ng mga nakaraang linggo? Hindi naman kaya may mga panibagong isyu na pasasabugin si Mr Expose matapos maabswelto sa kaso? Posible na pakana lamang ito ni Lacson dahil natatakot siya na malaman ang katotohanan na mayroon nga siyang kasalanan sa pagpatay kay Dacer at sa kanyang drayber.

Kahit na anung pagmamakakaawa at pagpupumilit ni Lacson na wala siyang kinalaman sa kaso, lalabas at lalabas pa rin ang tunay na katotohanan sa bandang huli. Kung wala talaga siyang nagawang kasalanan patungkol sa kaso, kinakailangan niyang harapin ang mga magiging iimbestigasyon upang mapatunayan ang lahat ng kanyang sinasabi. Hindi na niya kailangan gamitin pa ang “parliamentary immunity” na pinagkaloob sa kanya bilang isang mataas na opisyal ng gobyerno kung malinis talaga ang kanyang konsyensya.

Ang mga ginagawang hakbangin ni Lacson ay hindi nagkakalayo sa ideya ng mga New People’s Army (NPA) sa hindi naniniwala at rumirespeto sa batas ng Pilipinas. Ngunit kapag sila ay nagigipit o na-aagrabyado, ginagamit nila ang batas upang maisalba ang kanilang sarili. Imbes na taguan o talikuran ang hustisya, marapat na matapang na harapin ito.

Dapat pag-isipan ng husto ng Supreme Court ang kanilang magiging desisyon sa apila ni Lacson. Nakasalalay sa kanila ang mga susunod na mangyayari na siguradong makakaapekto hindi lamang sa paghahanap ng katarungan para kay Dacer at Corbito, pati na rin ang kinabukasan ng bansang Pilipinas sa paghahanap ng katotohanan sa likod ng mga ibinubunyag ni Lacson.

MGA PASABOG NI PING HUDYAT NG MAS MALALIM NA PLANO

Sa unang tingin ay aakalain mo na ang mga rebelasyon ni Senador Ping Lacson noong nakaraang dalawang linggo ay pawang patungkol lamang sa kaniyang malalim na hidwaan kay dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada dahil sa kanilang pagkakasangkot sa mas umiinit na kaso ng pagpatay kay Salvador “Bubby” Dacer at ang kaniyang driver na si Emmanuel Corbito. Ngunit, ang mga unti-unting nahuhukay na impormasyon na mismong si Ping ang nag-siwalat ay may makikitang isang nakakatakot na katotohanan pala.

Matatandaan na minsan nang napabalita ang planong pagpapatayo ng tinatawag na isang caretaker government o Transitional Revolutionary Government (TRG) na diumano’y pagbibidahan ng walang iba kung hindi ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na balak umupo sa ilalim nito bilang Prime Minister. Ayon sa balita, ang dokumento patungkol sa TRG ay ipinakalat pa mismo sa mga liderato ng AFP upang makuha ang kanilang suporta at upang ang mga inisyal na hakbang ay unti-unti nang masimulan.

Ang nasabing “proposal” ay tugon daw upang mabago ang sitwasyong political maging ang sanga-sangang problema sa korupsiyon ng bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagtataguyod ng isang semi-dictatorial at martial law rule sa ilalim ng isang council. Ayon sa plano, si dating Pangulong Corazon Aquino ang kukuning sanang Head of State ng military junta upang ito ay mabigyan ng mukha ng demokrasya, ngunit dahil na rin sa pagkamatay nito bunsod ng cancer ay bumalik ulit sa proseso ng paghahanap para sa isang personalidad na hahalina sa pwesto ni Cory ang mga tao sa likod ng TRG.

Dahil na rin sa mga kapansin-pansing galaw at sinambit ni Ping sa kaniyang privilege speeches ay masasabi nating hindi lang talaga paglilinis ng kaniyang pangalan patungkol sa Dacer case ang kaniyang pakay kung hindi ang pag-priprisinta ng kaniyang sarili bilang isang abang api at natatanging taga-pagtanggol ng bayan laban sa korapsyon. Dahil sa kaniyang artistahing mga patutsada ay maaari niyang maloko ang taong bayan na tanggapin ang kaniyang plano na maging Prime Minister ng bansa.

Bukod sa pagpapapogi sa media ay aktibo din si Ping Lacson sa pagbulong at pagpapakalat ng isang no-election scenario upang takutin ang mga tao at palabasin ang plano bilang isang pakana ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Arroyo. Ayon sa isang source ay tuwang-tuwa si Ping sa mga awayan sa ibat-ibang piling personalidad ng gobyerno dahil ito ay tumutugma para sa kaniyang mga plano.

Dahil dito ay pinapatunayan lamang ni Ping ang kasabihan na pwede talagang mag-anyong tupa ang isang lobo.

FINGERPOINTING WON’T DO ANY GOOD!

In times of crises, viewpoints change but egoes remain unscathed. Sadly, this stays true and unchangeable as politicians and even self-proclaimed “reformists” remain susceptible to such. Undeniably, typhoon Ondoy’s aftermath simply nailed this statement.

The here and there fingerpointing on who should be held accountable on the flood’s amassed fatalities is actually exacerbating the helpless cases of those still trapped around Cainta and Pasay. People who have been drenched in cold dump water for over 24 hours with limited food supplies and potable water are not interested in whoever runs the rescue and retrieval operations. All that mattered to them is that someone is willing to help. Getting an extra-hand in times when most Filipinos are slipping away from their faith and optimism.

I am not saying that we should be contended with what the government is doing at the moment. That is hardly the case. People stuck on their roofs with slim chances of getting rescued would arguably contest it but nonetheless they could never disregard the fact that seven soldiers died instead of them. It is not easy to wait for help when your life and of those that you love have been pushed to the edge. But it takes more than a sworn duty to swim across murky torrents and gamble one’s safety for another. Sadly, men in uniform who had been on the ground were never really valued. Worse, misconceptions and even politicking have undermined their sacrifices and heroism. Other than the insufficient pump boats which had been brought-up over and again on radio stations and news reports, there are about a million of men and women in government extending help. Yes, we lack the costly rescue vehicles and paraphernalia but we never come short of brave men willing to give a hand.

Natural disasters such as the drastic dent and loss of life brought by typhoon Ondoy in the country was willed by no one. It was nature taking its course. After all, it was a catastrophe we “helped” made possible. Manileños have transfigured Metro Manila into a huge dumpsite. The clogged sewers and complete disregard of the place we live in have seriously backfired on us. Manila is a fitting water basin with huge problems of waste disposal and overpopulation. Typhoon Ondoy was simply the remaining piece of a tragedy waiting to happen. If we have not been too preoccupied of thinking who to blame, we could have thought of something other than the sickening issue of pump boat shortage. We could have faced the fact that we brought this to ourselves. And if that tiny lady in Malacañang has to be blamed, we all should share her guilt. Not everything had to be about Gloria. Yes, it is easier to point fingers at her; our national “scapegoat”. But what would that make of us; ingrates or hypocrites?

Ondoy was a wake-up call. It magnifies our individual shortcomings and lack of respect to both nature and our children’s future. Most would say, God speaks in mysterious ways and I believe He sure made a statement with this calamity. This had been the end result of our complete disregard of what mother earth has offered. We should not be making the same mistake again by paying no attention to those who valiantly trudged the flood waters for us.

For our true modern day heroes, who died in aid of the helpless, the Filipino people offer you more than just sympathies but life-long gratitude.

Noynoy Aquino giving relief goods with Streamers for 2010 Election

(Photo by Sun Star Pampanga)


While people were trying to help typhoon ondoy victims Noynoy Aquino was busy campaigning. Futhermore, a specific example is that in the province of Pampanga, while everybody was consolidating relief goods for flood victims, Noynoy's supporters were busier putting up Noynoy 2010 streamers along Olongapo-Gapan road. Premature politicing, or just pure aristocratic insensitivity towards those who are suffering? One incumbent was so disgusted that he ordered his people to teardown these campaign paraphernalia in broad day light.

News in Sun Star Pampanga.

Read the full story here:

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/support-noynoy-snowballing-pampanga

KORINA BINUKO NA NAPWERSA LAMANG SI SENATOR MAR ROXAS

Dahil sa emosyonal na pag-iyak ni Korina Sanchez noong Setyembre 1, 2009 sa Club Filipino in Greenhills sa San Juan habang ang kaniyang katipan na si Senador Mar Roxas ay nagdedeklara ng pag-urong ng kaniyang kandidatura sa pagkapangulo sa 2010 ay napatunayan ng marami na ang nasabing kontrobersyal na “withdrawal” ay hindi talaga bukal sa loob ni Mr Palengke bagkus siya ay napwersa lamang na gawin ito.

Mali ang inaakala ng nakakarami sa ating masang mga kababayan na ang mga luhang iniiyak ni Korina noong araw na iyon ay dahil nawala sa kaniya ang pagkakataong maging unang ginang ng bansa sa panahong naging mapalad sana si Mar sa eleksyon. Kung susuriin, si Korina Sanchez ay isang kilala at tanyag na personalidad na at inirerespeto ng mga tao sa kaniyang napiling larangan kung kaya’t hindi siya desperadong makamit ang titulo bilang “first lady” ng bansa. Sa totoo lang, ang mga luha ay bunsod ng isang sikreto na pinakakaingatang huwag mabunyag sa publiko.

Ayon sa isang mapagkakatiwalaang source, ang kawawang si Mr Palengke ay kinuyug lamang ng kaniyang mga kapartido upang umatras sa laban at magbigay daan sa biglaang pagkandidato ni Noynoy sa 2010. Bukod sa pagkuyug ng kaniyang mga kasamahan sa partido, napag-alaman din na ang pag-atras ni Mar sa 2010 ay isa sa mga binigay na kondisyones ng tinatawag na civil society groups upang sila may patuloy na sumuporta kay Noynoy at sa kaniyang magiging laban sa dadating na eleksyon.

Alam ng tao na marami ng dugo, pawis, luha at pera ang ginugol ni Senador Mar Roxas - sampu ng kaniyang pamilya at mga taga-suporta - upang siya ay makalibot sa buong bansa dahil sa kagustuhan niyang ipakilala ang kaniya sarili sa ating mga ilang milyong kababayan sa ibat-ibang parte ng bansa. Bago pa nagdeklara ang ibang presidentiables ay malinaw na malinaw na sa lahat ang gustong tahakin na landas ni Mr Palengke. Ngunit dahil sa biglang pagsulpot ni Noynoy sa listahan ng mga presidentiables ay nauwi sa wala ang mga naging puhunan ng kawawang senador.

Ngayon, bukod sa paghanga sa kaniyang ginawang pagpaparaya ay dapat kaawaan din ang katipan ni Korina Sanchez dahil siya ay malinaw na napagkaisahan ng kaniyang mga kapartido at ng mga grupong malalakas sa ating lipunan sa ngayon.

NOYNOY’s CIVIL SOCIETY PATRONS TO DUMP HIM AFTER 2010

Ambassador Ernesto Maceda’s take on the civil society groups’ incessant pitching of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino as the only viable instrument of reform says it all. In his column with the Daily Tribune, Maceda claimed that former social welfare secretary Dinky Soliman and her cohorts have been strutting around as if they have a monopoly of the reform agenda and that their elitist mentality will in no way bag the presidency for their candidate, Noynoy. Maceda further pointed that they sang the same tune in 2001 when they backed then Vice President Arroyo but later admitted their so-called fault in a highly controversial en masse resignation at the Hyatt Hotel in 2005.

That scenario only proved that these civil society groups can and have been using their influence to deliberately position favored personalities in the government and unfortunately after milking the official to their hearts content would intentionally discard their pawn like a dirty piece of rag and unitarily trample in public. Will Noynoy, who is most assuredly a neophyte in the intricacies of our country’s politics, be able to handle this? Will his parents’ name and legacy be able to protect him from the clutches of these civil society groups who have been fronting as patriots but are actually backstabbers to the very sense of the word? Remember the time when Dinky Soliman was unseated from her throne at DSWD and with Vice President Noli De Castro subsequently assuming her place? Did she not approach former President Corazon Aquino and immaturely bashed President Arroyo, the very same person who gave her that position and who – as the top leader of the land - has the prerogative to appoint anyone she sees fit. Did Dinky not return to Malacañang to offer her services as an adviser to Noli after the bashing and even sang a song for GMA during a dramatic walk in the Palace grounds a year later?

They did it before so they are most likely to do it again. Mark my words, if Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino succeeds in the upcoming Presidential Election in May 2010, his so-called patrons from the civil society groups headed by Dinky Soliman will most assuredly find a way to bring him down. Maybe they will use his inexperience as a reason or maybe his elitist view on things which could result to his inability to obtain the nod of the “masa” and the militant organizations in the country.

Just like progressive personalities like Representative Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna, these civil society groups will find a way, an issue or even a physical attribute of Noynoy just so they can boot him out of Malacañang. The reported “talk between two friends” being coordinated by United Opposition spokesperson Jejomar Binay between deposed president-still-wanting to be President Joseph Estrada and the Liberal Party’s standard bearer will already be ticked off by Dinky Soliman and her minions as Noynoy’s first mistake in their secret score board.

ERAP PUSHING GLORIA’S OUSTER FROM BEHIND

Gus Lagman, Ichu Maceda,and Harry Roque
(of the Concerned Citizens Movement)

Former Pres. Joseph Estrada was said to be using his co-financed Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI), which claims to be a movement for a participatory, transparent and accountable budget system in the government, to push for Gloria’s ouster through the exploitation of the glooming inquest on the First Family’s non-declaration of assets. Liling Briones and Jose Diokno, who both worked under ERAP’s previous administration, were the lead conveners and movers of ABI. As planned, ABI would be presenting their “case” on linked-up media outfits, which could very well build up on the issue in order to generate public outrage like the scenarios in 2001 Edsa Dos.

Since ABI’s inception, Erap had been consistently funding it with not less than a Php 100,000 per month. Sources even claim that the said amount bloats as per request of Briones or Diokno. Part of ABI’s current efforts was their participation in the ongoing Social Watch Philippines that had been scrutinizing the 2009 financial budget. Thus, this explains the projected hype on Gloria’s spendings here and abroad.

Other than Estrada, names like Dulce Cepeda and Bebu Bulchan who were in close connections with another former Pres. Fidel Ramos had also been on top of the list of ABI benefactor. These two also got involved in last November 28, 2007 Peninsula Stand-off. Apart from which, they were also seen with Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Marili Osias of the Concerned Citizens’ Movement, Gus LAGMAN of Black and White (BnW) Movement, Linda Montayre of the Fortunato ABAT group (Coalition for National Salvation) and ex-ambassador Roy Señeres.

Money and lots of it are keeping this anti-Gloria phenomenon in the air. Keeping track on this administration’s finances is obligatory for concerned taxpayers. There is nothing entirely wrong with it. However, it loses track whenever politicians especially a convicted plunderer puts his hand on it.

ERAP-LED FOOD FIGHT “Trying to Wash His Hands Clean Before 2010”

After the truth is out of former President Erap Estrada financing a movement called the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI), which claims to be a movement identified with its participation on transparent and accountable budget system in the government, public cannot help but speculate on whether these current hype on Gloria’s expensive dinners were for the sake of finance lucidity or for political grooming. The Estradas who had just doled-out a huge amount to finance ABI surely expects something in return by the end of coming election. Besides, ABI conveners- Liling Briones and Jose Diokno who both served under the short-lived Estrada administration would not be giving their services for nothing. Last August 5th, Erap handed-out another split-cash worth Php 100,000 for ABI in time for ABI’s participation in the Social Watch Philippines that had been scrutinizing the 2009 financial budget.

Other than ABI, Erap was also rumored making links with various media outfits in the country with the help of certain Rick Serrano. The two were actually feeding press people with things that could generate another tension that could inevitably spark another Edsa Kwatro. With the way things are, Erap is noticeably making the bargains to stall the coming elections. This way he could probably be thinking of reliving Gloria’s ascendancy to power and maybe rule us for another decade. Philippine politics is clearly on its biggest downfall when we’re having laundered politicians coming back in.

The fiasco over the $20,000 in Le Cirque and that of the $15,000 steakhouse buffet could have been a doing of one very “fascinated” administration rival. The intent of getting a closer look at Gloria’s whereabouts and activities in the U.S could not have been for sole reasons of transparency? Besides, the hype on the Arroyo’s spendings and earnings had been hyped since ABI and Erap’s 2010 presidential ambition started sinking-in. This is obviously a well-coordinated effort which none could have prepared unless he had this strong disagreement with Gloria.

As the 2010 election nears, politics is getting dirtier than ever. Ill intentions are pouring-out like typhoon from both camps manned by the Opposition and the Leftist moralists; all for the sake of taking Pres. Gloria out of the picture. As ABI continues to take its flight, the contention on the president’s assets would surely be getting worst. Sadly, a fine movement had to be tainted with politicking purpose. No wonder that faith on the coming elections had gone down the drain. There aren’t decent presidentiables left that would be worth Malacañang.

MAR ROXAS INGGIT SA DINNER SA NEW YORK

Hanggang saan kaya balak paabutin ni Senador Mar Roxas ang mga patutsada laban kay Gloria para lamang makakuha ng pogi-points mula sa mga taong bayan na pilit niyang nililinlang? Bukod sa pagmumura sa isang rally, pag-atake sa Cheaper Medicines Bills at palabasin ang kaniyang bersyon bilang mas maganda at masunog sa bandang huli, pasuot ng kwintas na bawang sa senado at pagsasawsaw sa usaping kalusugan ni GMA ay tila may bago na namang pauso si Mr Palengke - ito ay ang busisiin ang napabalitang dinner sa isang restoran sa New York at gamitin na naman ito para sa kaniyang political strategy.
Maiintindihan sana natin ang ganitong balitaktakan kung valid issues lang ang magiging palitan sa magkabilang nag-uumpugang kampo pero masyado naman yata pinababa ng senador ang usapan sa lebel ng ordinaryong tsismis lamang dahil sa kawalan ng ebidensya sa kaniyang mga paratang. Halatadong-halatado tuloy itong si “boy bawang” na pilit nitong isisiksik ang sarili sa mga maiinit na isyu mapag-usapan lamang at mabigyan lang ng pagkakataon na makilala para sa plano niyang pagtakbo sa dadating na eleksyon.
Hindi kaya ito konektado sa naging maugong na balita dati na kaya biglang umatras si Senador Ping Lacson sa kaniya planong pagkapangulo ay dahil may namamagitang alyansa sa dalawang senador? Ito ay ang nabunyag na alyansa na papanalunin ni Ping si Mar at proproteksyunan ng naman ng huli ang una sa mga kasong kriminal kapag nakapwesto na. Eto ba ang dahilan kung bakit masyadong papansin ngayon si Mr Palengke na dati-rati naman ay hindi niya ginagawa? Mukhang nahawaan na ni Mr Exposé si Mar Roxas at siya na ngayon ang ginagawang mikropono aka spokesperson ni Ping Lacson para bigyan ng kredebilidad ang kaniyang mga patutsada kay Ate Gloria.
Alam na alam kasi ni Ping na gasgas na gasgas na ang kaniyang pangalan at ano mang pasasabugin nito laban sa kasalukuyang administrasyon ay ikakataas lamang ng kilay ng sambayanang Pilipino at iisipin na pilit niya inililihis ang usapan para proteksyunan ang kaniyang sarili.
Mag-isip sana si Senador Mar Roxas na hindi sa anu pa mang gimik politikal siya maboboto sa 2010. Hindi pagsuot ng kwintas na bawang o sa pagsawsaw sa mga isyu mapapansin ang isang kandidato dahil ito ay karaniwan na natin nakikitang ginagawa ng mga ibat-ibang presidentiables na lakas loob na humaharap sa ating mga Pilipino at lumiligaw ng boto mula sa atin. Kung gusto talaga ni Mr Palengke makapwesto sa Malacañang ay mas marapat na valid na mga isyu lamang ang kaniyang gamit sa paghamon ng balitaktakan at sa ngayon pa lamang ay ilaglag na si Ping Lacson sa mahigpit na pagkakahawak nito sa kaniyang saya.

SOMA: Suppose Our Media Agrees with GLORIA

Nothing could go wrong when one thinks outside the box and tries settling its own evasive affairs, like how the media make use of exploring controversies in order to make money. The negative write-ups on the current administration are hypothetically thrice the magnitude of Gloria’s claimed fandom in her ascendancy through Edsa Dos in 2001. Her administration who gagged-down a multi-million plunderer out of Malacañang is now being held at question by the very forces of the convicted-president Erap Estrada. It is bothersome how the public welcomes Erap who was neither regretful of his erring actions in 2000 nor conciliatory with the very administration that pardoned him for good. Thanks to what we could attest as “media-led distortion of accepted morals”, Erap is now our hero and Gloria, our devious archenemy.

The graft charges on GLORIA never hold ground. They were either lacking substance or worst politically motivated basing on the actions of its renowned whistleblowers who by now are testing the political waters for the nearing 2010. Compared with Erap, his plunder charges were proven factual and thereby contemptuous. During his term, the peso reached its intolerable dollar exchanges while oil prices skyrocketed. In fact, it was in Estradas’ term when peso struck its lowest buying ability in the international market. An open offensive with both the secessionist and Communist groups in the country also took a spin in the country’s stability and even destabilize the state’s budget. Erap was a sham president that People Power ousted from the presidency.

But with the kind of media ass-kissing Erap is getting, his supposed “negative pull” to the masses decreased in unexplainable heights. This same media mileage and even “grooming” led him to believe that Juan dela Cruz are naïve and stupid enough to welcome him in the presidential seat by 2010. The plunderer Erap was even remolded into a tempting delicacy for the 2010 elections; which is why, bunch of his enemies before side with him now. Like for example, the rightist moralists led by Bayan Muna Teddy Casiño and Satur Ocampo who spearheaded the Erap Resign Movement in 2001. In April of this year, both Casiño and Ocampo declared an open-alliance with the Estradas and his comrades in the political Opposition. This, by far, should have been a well-celebrated case of politicking at its “best” but the media made it look like a “decent” or worth accepting trend.

There was nothing in Gloria’s SONA that I myself had not experienced nor witnessed in front row seats. She was right with the fact that political stunts and backbiting among the Genuine Opposition was her deadliest opponent. Their accusations were cowardly done. Taking these Gloria plunder charges into public trials other than filing it in the proper courts should have been exploited by the media. However, this was ridden-on by the press to simply write stories that sell that contains nothing less than rumors or gossips.

Come to think of it, if Erap was in the seat of power as we while down the whirlwind of global recession, most would now be starving to death. The way the peso was dragging in Erap’s term; there is no denying that Juan dela Cruz would not have had the ability to feed himself a decent meal.

ERAP-LACSON TANDEM: Behind TRG’s Forceful TAKE-OVER (Even if Civilian Lives are at Stake)

The controversial plan to ground the feared Transition Revolutionary Government (TRG) is out at last. Uncovered on circulating TRG proposal was the names of Sen. Panfilo Lacson and deposed Pres. Erap Estrada. The two, as enclosed on said 12-paged documentation, were the veiled authors of the proposed junta-inspired like EDSA that would likely perpetuate them in power with the use of the Transition Council. And unfortunately, this involves creating actual armed commotion that we had just witnessed recently. Specifically, this entails the bombing in the office of the Ombudsman that was shortly followed by the explosions in Cotabato, Sulu and Lanao.

Initial phases of the so-called last resolve to oust Gloria include the string of atrocious acts targeting civilian-dominated areas and key installations nationwide. That is, with the use of the active military defectors co-led by retired civilianized generals and certain former Col. Rey Cabauatan. This man was also indentified liaising with Lacson on the camps of BGEN Danilo Lim and Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Furthermore, Cabauatan was among those linked to the millions-worth of firearm and ammunition procurement in January of this year in Quezon City.

The motive behind such long shot armed campaign was to create a plausible scenario of instability that could trigger public outrage and discontent. Alienating the administration from the public by sabotaging the AFP and implying its incapacity to quell terroristic threats would serve as Erap and Ping’s mantra for the forceful take-over.

Targeting Mindanao would fit perfectly on exploiting the lapses on the GRP-MILF Peace Talks while shaking-up Metro Manila mean putting a stall on the flow of business and commerce. Visayas was spared for the reasons that Erap and Lacson believed it is impenetrable when it comes to its loyalty towards Gloria. However, the tandem plans to infiltrate the so-called little Malacañang through media-mitigated nationwide “demoralization”. The same process used to gather a handful of crowd during the EDSA Dos mobilizations.

Greed for power damnifies the soul. The Erap and Lacson tandem thought that this time around they could still get-away with murder in the process of developing their political careers. The Kuratong Baleleng and the Dacer-Corbito murders were nothing compared with their cooked-up plot against the entire nation. The TRG would not be another PAOC-TF that helps shield these two from retribution of their crimes. The people would not be too insensitive yet again to let this excuse-for-murder TRG to come into power.

IS THIS JDV’S MARTIAL LAW? (Straight from the Devil’s Mouth)

Let us face it; JDV tops the list of this country’s “most distrusted”. We have seen him suck-up with the administration time and again. The former speaker would have gagged-up his own son-Joey, if it would mean redeeming his third year in the “Speakership”. He is a man “true” to his political ideals, a TRAPO to the bone. And just like the old “politicized honchos, he would ride-on every issue to get his most desired name recall.

Frankly speaking, JDV is more determined to get a nip of every hullabaloo there is with the administration to have his salivated “revenge”. Just take a look at how JDV sold himself out for the Opposition. Right after he was booted out of the Speakership, he openly bargained his service to the next best GO who can afford it. There is always a possibility that JDV would magnify just about anything to consider himself “valuable” for the opposition; meaning more less and less truths.

So why take an interest on him now? Does he have substantive evidence to support his earlier claims of GLORIA grounding her so-called Martial law? Would the president be that stupid to dig herself a burial ground? Marcos’ dictatorship is continuously detested by Filipinos in all walks of life. It is not the political line GLORIA is “fit” enough to fill; noting the apathy she receives from the public. JDV with his political adeptness knew this for a fact. That is why the old “Judas” wanted to take advantage of the current bombardments in Mindanao to stir public unease.

Without doubt, JDV is up to something. The political prostitute would not be going over the media and whistle supposed martial law resurrection for nothing. Considering JDV’s timing, one cannot help but think of the public being taken out for a ride. The public’s worries and mourns was now being explored by JDV for his best interest. He definitely knew getting GLORIA’s head would mean “revenge” and another political door opening.

Phil Star columnist Carmen Pedrosa was correct with a lot of things in her article “getting it Right”. The Plaza Miranda bombing before was elemental to Marcos’ dictatorship. But nevertheless it was also used to blind the public of what indeed happened and who should be blamed. Because of politicized opinions, the public pointed their fingers on Marcos. But to their regret, it turned-out to be Jose Maria Sison’s doing. The Communist Party wanted to breed public disfavor on Marcos and instill instability to wield the opportunity of their forceful takeover. Fortunately, Marcos was a better “tyrant”, the Philippine under the Red flag and fang was never established. But nevertheless, the Filipinos were unfortunately subjugated by one of East Asia’s vindictive dictator. Either way, the Filipino people lost.

Vigilance should be accompanied with rationality. Let us the authorities give us straightforward facts with regards to the bombing in South Central Mindanao. We should not re-write history yet again, especially not for political “prostitutes” like JDV.

MANCAO DAPAT PROTEKTAHAN

Dumating na sa bansa mula sa America si S/Supt Cezar Mancao II noong June 4. Tulad ng inaasahan, ang kaniyang pagdating ay binantayan ng mahigit kumulang 200 na alagad ng National Bureau of Investigation o NBI at sinubaybayan ng buong bansa dahil na rin sa matagal na pagkabinbin ng kaso sa korte at lalo na sa pagkakasangkot ng ilang mga kilalang personalidad sa pagpatay kina Salvador “Bubby” Dacer at ang kaniyang driver na si Emmanuel Corbito noong Nobyembre 2000.
Bagamat maraming taga-NBI ang nagbantay sa pagdating ni Mancao ay marami pa rin ang nag-aalala sa kalagayan ng nasabing potential state witness lalo na patungkol sa kasiguruhan ng kaniyang buhay. Hindi kasi natin maiaalis na marami sa ating mga kababayan ang mag-alangan at makapag-isip na posibleng ipapatay si Mancao dahil sa lalim ng kaniyang mga alam sa twin murder nila Dacer at Corbito. Kung ganito ang mangyayari ay paniguradong hindi na naman uusad ang kaso at bibilang na naman ng taon bago mabigyan ng hustisya ang pagpatay kina Dacer. At dahil dito ay dapat mas maging masigasig ang gobyerno na protektahan si Mancao upang maibigay na ang katahimikan sa mga naiwang pamilya ni Bubby at ni Emmanuel na matagal na din naman nagtitiis ng kanilang pighati sa karumaldumal na pagkamatay ng kanilang mahal sa buhay.
Bukod sa paninigurado sa seguridad ng buhay ni Mancao, dapat tamang institusyon lamang ang diretsong hahawak sa nasabing kaso upang ang isyu at ang kaso ay huwag maging isang malaking circus. Dapat paigtingin din ang panawagan na huwag pahintulutan na magamit si Mancao ng kung sino-sinong pulitiko na nagnanais lamang palawigin ang kani-kanilang mga pangalan para sa 2010. Ang kasong kaniyang kinasasangkutan ay hindi isang palabas ng moriones bagkus ay isang kriminal na kaso na dapat seryosohin ng lahat ng panig. Siya ay iniuwi dito sa Pilipinas upang magbigay linaw sa kaso at magbigay testimonya sa kaniyang nalalaman at hindi upang magamit para sa ano pa mang bagay.
Ang pagdating ni Mancao ay sapat na upang muling buhayin ang kaso sa korte. Hindi na kinakailangang hintayin pa ang napipintong pag-uwi ni Glenn Dumlao – na kasalukuyang dinidinig pa ang kasong extradition nito sa America at sinasabing may malalim na kaalaman sa pagpatay - upang tuluyan nang umusad ang double murder case na hinihain ng mga anak ni Dacer na sina Emily Dacer-Hungerson, Sabina Dacer-Reyes, Carina Lim-Dacer at Ambaro Dacer laban kay Panfilo Lacson na siyang hepe ng dating PAOCTF nang naganap ang pagpatay sa dalawang sibilyan.
Malaki ang papel na ginagampanan ngayon ni dating S/Supt Cezar Mancao II sa pagbibigay linaw sa kaso at upang patunayan na ang hustisya sa bansa, bagamat kung minsan ay matagal makamtam, ay patuloy pa rin umiiral at naniningil sa mga taong nagkakautang dito.

KURATONG BALELENG’S SILENT PLEAS AGAINST LACSON

Exactly fourteen years ago on May 18, eleven members of the dreaded bank robbery gang who called themselves as the Kuratong Baleleng were ruthlessly killed in a rubout operation along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City allegedly by several rogue members of the Philippine National Police. Included among those who lay dead were two minors, Meleuren Sorronda and Sherwyn Abalora, who were merely on a vacation from Dipolog City. The following day, the head of the so-called gang was also found killed together with another alleged member in Biñan in Laguna.

Sadly, up until now this classic case of extrajudicial killings remain unsolved as the Supreme Court is yet to give a decision on the pending administrative case filed by the families of the slain Kuratong Baleleng members against Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 81 Judge Ma. Theresa Dela Torre-Yadao who mysteriously dismissed the multiple murder charges against 11 police officers involved in the alleged rubout.

Up until now, the accused officers are yet to spend jail time and are yet to answer for their crimes for violating the rights of these people. Ironically, Senator Panfilo Lacson who was already directly linked to the rubout case by a living witness is still blissfully occupying a seat in the very halls of the Senate and is now even into an in-depth political warpath against his presidential nemesis in the 2010 elections – Senator Manny Villar. But how long will the families of the slain robbery gang members have to wait before the Supreme Court would finally issue an edict on the pending administrative case?

How many witnesses should come forward before the Supreme Court would realize that it can now revive the case and finally resolve the 11 multiple murder charges filed against 11 police officers? In March 2001, two witnesses - Senior Insp. Abelardo Ramos and Insp. Ysmael Yu – already braved the threats to their lives and came forward to issue affidavits stating that Senator Lacson himself assented to the rubout operation and was even quoted as saying “‘Baka may mabuhay pa diyan (make sure no one survives)” during a briefing held in Camp Crame. Aside from Yu and Ramos, nine more witnesses to the crime are now in the custody of the Justice Department’s Witness Protection Program. Four of these witnesses were among those who directly fired at the victims. And yet, the Supreme Court is mysteriously blind to their existence and to the pleas of the families of the slain victims. Since 2006, the Supreme Court after issuing an en banc resolution noting the urgent resolution filed by the private counsels of the Kuratong Baleleng members for the Court to resolve the case is yet to give out a decision. Does Senator Lacson have a hand on the seeming inaction and indecision of the Supreme Court specifically Chief Reynato Puno to finally give justice to these eleven victims who are clearly fatalities of extrajudicial killings?

NASAAN ANG HUSTISYA PAGKATAPOS NG 14 TAON?

Nasaan na ang matagal nang hinihintay na hustisya para sa 11 miyembro ng kilalang Kuratong Baleleng gang na pinaslang noon Mayo 18, 1995 sa kahabaan ng Commonwealth Avenue sa Quezon City? Pagkaraan ng 14 na taon ay patuloy pa rin nakabinbin ang kaso sa Korte Suprema. Ang isa sa mga sinasabing direktang nag-utos ng pagpatay ay naging senador na ngunit tila ang mga kaluluwa ng 11 miyembro ay patuloy pa din nananaghoy para sa katarungan at hustisya.

Malinaw na ang nasabing pagpatay ay kongkretong halimbawa ng isang hindi makaturan na pagsupil sa mga kriminal. Ito rin ay malinaw na nagpapakita ng isang paglabag sa karapatang pantao. At dahil sa nabanggit na dalawang rason ay dapat maparusahan ang lahat ng nasasangkot sa nasabing kaso, maging sya pa man ay kilalang personahe sa ating bansa.

Hanggang kailan magiging mailap ang hustisya para sa mga pamilyang naiwan ng mga Kuratong Baleleng members? Hindi pa ba sapat ang apat na testigo tulad nila SPO4 Ed Delos Reyes, SPO4 Corazon Dela Cruz, P/INSP Ysmael Uy at Leonora Sorondra upang tuluyang tuldukan ang pighati ng mga naiwang pamilya ng mga napatay na Kuratong Baleleng members? Ano pa ang kinakailangan na mga ebidensya upang umusad nang tuluyan ang kaso at mahatulan ang mga sangkot? Nakakalungkot na ang pagtestigo ng apat na nabanggit na personalidad ay nauwi sa wala dahil sila ngayon ay mga kapwa umurong sa pagbibigay testimoniya dahil na rin sa mga pananakot, sa kanilang buhay.
Sa 2010, tatakbo sa pagkapresidente si Senador Panfilo Lacson. Kung sakaling siya ay manalo at maging pangulo ng Pilipinas ay mas magiging malabo pa ang hustisya para sa mga pinatay at lalong mabibinbin ang kaso sa Korte Suprema. Hindi ba’t dahil sa tinatawag na “time element” dahil sa nalalapit na 2010 election ay mas dapat bigyan ng atensiyon ngayon ng mga huwes ng Korte Suprema ang nasabing kaso at iresolba ito sa lalong madaling panahon?

Maski sila pa ang pinakamasamang mga kriminal sa ating bansa, ang mga napatay na Kuratong Baleleng members ay dapat binigyan ng pagkakataon na harapin ang kani-kanilang kaso sa korte at pagdusahan ang mga katumbas na kaparusahan sa mga ito. Ngunit sa isang iglap, ang kanilang karapatan ay nawala kasama ng pagkitil sa kanilang buhay.

Marami silang nabiktima sa mga krimen na kanilang ginawa laban sa kanilang mga kapwa Pinoy pero sila din ay naging biktima noong May 18, 1995 o labing apat na taon nang nakakalipas. Hanggang kailan sila hihingi ng hustisya?